Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 109 Perfection of the Dao Heart
……

grandfather.

"..."

It felt like I was back in that spring day; everything that followed was just a dream.

At this time, Song Yan was only eight or nine years old.

They have already learned to read and write, and are gradually beginning to learn some medical skills.

"Hey..."

Little Song was playing in the mud in the herb garden, muttering, "That rich man from Linzhou is really pitiful."

"He drank ginseng soup, clung to life like a living dead, until he was ninety-eight years old."

"Grandpa, are your medical skills really that amazing?"

"People who should have died long ago, have been able to live so many more years in your hands..."

Xiao Song raised his head and looked at the old man with some reverence: "You are like a god descended from heaven, able to grant immortality."

"Immortality?" Grandpa was suddenly taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, if only I, this old man, truly had that ability..."

Laughter with tears.

He picked a fresh medicinal seedling and casually tossed it into the medicine basket on his back.

"Grandson, let me tell you something funny."

"Back then, there was a high-ranking official in the imperial court whose power and influence were immense, second only to the emperor."

"However, I am already quite old and frail. I don't usually practice any health regimen, so when illness strikes, it comes like a landslide..."

"Having heard of my exceptional medical skills, he sent me ten thousand taels of gold in exchange for a life-saving elixir..."

Xiao Song immediately grasped the key point: "Grandpa, is he a bad person?"

"Bad guy..."

"Good man..."

"I wouldn't say that."

Grandpa's expression became complicated: "They're just ordinary people with power and influence."

"And then what happened? Did you manage to save him?"

The old man's originally serious expression suddenly became somewhat relaxed: "I put some croton seeds into the herbal medicine."

"That old man had diarrhea for three days and three nights, which actually cleared out all the toxins in his stomach and allowed him to live two more years."

"Hahahahaha..."

Xiao Song was amused by his grandfather's mischievousness.

The old man patted his head affectionately: "Silly child..."

"Immortality... Where in this world is there such a thing as immortality?"

"Do you think those immortals in the heavens who have lived for hundreds or thousands of years are immortal?"

He pointed to the herb garden in front of him and said in a gentle voice, "Life and death in this world are like the flourishing and withering of plants. If you force the withered branches and fallen leaves to stay, it will only hinder the sprouting of new buds."

"Long life..."

There's nothing to force.

"Life is but a fleeting hundred years; to live freely and meaningfully is the destiny of us ordinary people."

Xiao Song felt that what his grandfather said made perfect sense.

The cycle of life and death is the law of heaven and earth.

But for some reason, I had a vague feeling that something was not quite right.

"Alright, come back with me."

The old man took his hand, and the two walked slowly toward the thatched hut.

"..."

Neither of them spoke, and they walked on, step by step.

thump...

Huh? What's that sound...?

A muffled sound came to my ears.

The sound grew clearer as it approached.

Xiao Song suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The old man asked, puzzled, "What's wrong, my dear grandson?"

Now, Xiao Song recognized what it was.

That was the sound of a heartbeat.

"grandfather……"

"You just said that there are immortals in heaven who have lived for thousands of years."

Xiao Song suddenly looked up and asked, "Is that right?"

Grandpa was somewhat surprised, but still answered his question seriously: "...Yes."

Xiao Song continued, "Mortals live in this world, and they will also die."

"Even immortals who live in this world will die, right?" "...Yes."

"grandfather……"

"But mortals are too insignificant..."

His gaze gradually cleared: "You'll die from illness, you'll die from hunger..."

"Offending high-ranking officials and nobles will lead to death..."

"You'll die if you block someone's path to wealth..."

"..."

"I don't want to be an ordinary person."

At this moment, only unwavering determination remained in his eyes.

I want to be free!

Whether it's immortals, gods, Buddhas, demons, or monsters!
Even demons, monsters, and evil spirits...

Everything is fine.

Is that the name I want...?

What I want is freedom.

Not to be manipulated by anyone else.

Not restricted by any stance.

Unbound by any rules...

True freedom that will not be eroded by the passage of time!
This is true immortality!
In that instant, the seed within the Zhendao Sword Mansion began to tremble slowly!
That heart-pounding sound grew louder and louder!
The sword energy surrounding the Dao Seed also surged more and more.

Then a wisp of gentle yet resilient spiritual light drifted out from the Dao Seed and slowly merged into the nascent form of the Dao Heart.

The little sword hummed softly, and its shape became very clear.

At this moment, the scene before my eyes was as dark as ink, and everything around me suddenly changed.

The fog on the path of refining the mind was cut open by a sharp spiritual intent.

On Zuowang Peak, Song Yan slowly opened his eyes, his robes fluttering without wind, his eyes seemingly reflecting all the phenomena of the world.

The Dao Seed within the Zhendao Sword Mansion was already incredibly solid, like crystal.

The surrounding lotus-shaped sword energy suddenly turned into a phantom.

Birds, beasts, insects, fish, plants, trees, mountains, and rivers...

In the end, it transformed into withered trees and thunder, manifesting itself before Song Yan.

He suddenly chuckled softly: "Not bound by scorched earth, but withered trees sprouting new buds, is also a free way of living between heaven and earth."

Beneath the Zhendao Sword Mansion, the heart seeking the Dao was finally fulfilled!

"..."

Outside the path of refining the heart, the disciple in charge looked at him with some surprise.

Throughout history, disciples who have completed their spiritual journey have mostly displayed expressions of lingering fear or sudden realization.

But this junior brother in front of me not only had a happy expression on his face, but also had a special illusory image surrounding him.

He wondered to himself, "Could this be what they call an 'anomaly'?"

He looked Song Yan up and down and nodded slightly.

The path of self-cultivation is both a test and an opportunity.

However, everyone simply regarded this place as a test.

Very few people can truly confront their true selves and gain anything from it.

The person in front of me is probably one of them.

He thought to himself that this junior brother was clearly an outstanding person, and he should make good friends with him and get along well with him in the future.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Congratulations, junior brother, on successfully traversing the path of refining your heart and officially advancing to the inner sect."

"From now on, we will handle those handover matters."

"You may take the inner disciple's jade token and Daoist robe first."

He glanced sideways slightly: "Ah Lian."

"Yes."

A young Taoist priest stepped forward quickly, carrying a tray in his hands.

The inner disciple's robe was neatly folded on top, with a jade tablet pressed down in the center.

Song Yan accepted it and temporarily put it into his Qiankun bag, nodding, "Thank you."

The child looked on with envy, but obediently retreated behind the disciple in charge.

"Junior brother, the most important thing right now is to choose a main peak so that we can arrange our cave dwellings in the future..."

"Now, apart from the two special main peaks, Guiyan Peak and Bamo Peak, there are still spots available for the other six peaks."

The disciple in charge politely ushered him into a grand hall, where eight paintings hung directly in front.

"Ah, of course, Lianyou Peak does not accept male disciples."

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(End of this chapter)